Royal Mail has launched a recruitment drive to hire around 19,000 temporary workers for the upcoming busy Christmas period.

The temporary staff will help to sort the Christmas post, while also increasing the amount of online shopping, with a number of shifts between the middle of November and the beginning of January.

The temporary staff will help to sort the Christmas post along with the rising amount of online shopping.

Just under 15,000 people are required to work in mail centres, distribution sites and data centres throughout England. There are also around 1,300 posts in Scotland, 700 in Wales and 500 in Northern Ireland.

Royal Mail Group’s express parcels company, Parcelforce Worldwide, is also looking to recruit around 1,850 extra sorting staff, including 830 drivers throughout the country.

Royal Mail’s chief operations officer Sue Whalley said: “Christmas is our busiest time of year. We plan all year round to help ensure we deliver the best possible service for consumers and businesses in the UK at Christmas.

“We make a substantial commitment in additional resources including the recruitment of thousands of temporary workers to handle the festive mailbag and the growing market of online Christmas shopping.”

Royal Mail has ventured into the US market by buying a next day delivery company in a deal that will cost the former state-owned company $90m (£70m).

Golden State Overnight Delivery Service Inc (GSO) which operates in principally in California, was bought by Royal Mail through its European subsidiary General Logistics Systems (GLS).

Although letter deliveries at parent Royal Mail are declining, GLS has reported double-digit revenue growth and GLS’s chief executive Rico Back said that the purchase was in line with strategic expansion goals:

“In June, GLS purchased ASM Transporte Urgente (ASM) for €71m. It hoped that the deal would provide “GLS Spain with significantly enhanced size and scale, enabling it to offer a comprehensive national and international service”.